pit bull

American  

[pit bool] / ˈpɪt ˌbʊl /

Informal, pittie or pitbull

noun

• pit bulls
  plural

1. a stocky, muscular dog with a broad skull and a smooth coat, belonging to an informal category of purebred and mixed-breed dogs that includes the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier, and sometimes the American bulldog or boxer.

2. Also called American pit bull terrier. American Staffordshire terrier.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pit bulls
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pit bull

First recorded in 1925–30; pit ¹ ( def. ) (in the sense “enclosure for staging animal fights”) + bull(dog) ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pit bull

Animal services officers responding to a report of an injured dog in Santa Ana on Sept. 8 found 9-month-old pit bull, Blackey, dead on the street.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

A pit bull barked, but no one seemed to be home.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Deputies later learned that the pit bull was owned by a family member who lived with the victim, the department said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Then there was the time her pit bull terrier, Thor, barked at a cat outside, jolting the feline skyward.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026

When Dad opened the door, Martí, his pit bull, ran out to greet us.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez

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